The making of an editorial photoshoot: Part 1

Behind the Scenes – Heart “O” Chicago Editorial Shoot

by Zurina Ketola

Earlier this week, you saw the results of our bohemian-grit Heart “O” Chicago editorial shoot, but have you ever wondered about the process behind a conceptual photoshoot? Read on for some behind the scenes goodness!

Our inspiration for the shoot came from Maggie and Laurie, who envisioned a Bonnie and Clyde meets dingy 70’s style. They envisioned a day in the life of a vivacious young couple in love. Beginning with a fun, flirty afternoon where the young couple pulls into a motel for a stop on a summer adventure. Things are light and easy at this point, then later temperatures rise as the scene transitions to a more intimate and risque feel behind closed doors. Drawing additional inspiration from dreamy cinematic scenes with soft,tungsten lighting and smoke filled rooms as well as work by fashion photographer Steven Meisel, the team met up at the studio, late afternoon and got to work creating the look and feel of the shoot. Wardrobe and accessories options were discussed between Jen, Maggie, and myself after some last minute pieces were gathered for Brendan from Chicago boutique, Hazel, who generously loaned pieces for the occasion.

One of my favorite parts about the the process? Seeing the transformation from fresh faced to bohemian beauty! Emily did a fantastic job bringing this look to life with hair and makeup, using matte finishes on Brooke, extenuating those amazing eyebrows with filler, and accenting her youthful glow with warm cheeks. Brenden’s natural look was perfect for the shoot, rocking a haircut that brings to mind American classic actors James Dean and Marlon Brando. Granted, the 70’s had longer, ehhhhh, shaggier cuts, but we much preferred Brendan’s current do, reminiscent of the 50’s era. Jen further enhanced their looks with some amazing wardrobe options (wait till you see our next post with Brenden rocking one of these pieces, and not much else) , and our super-stylish model even had a few itmes that came in handy. After the wardrobe and accessories were finalized, we packed up all camera equipment and everything we needed for our additional looks and headed out to The Heart “O” Chicago.

The Bonnie and Clyde theme ended up being perfect – we technically didn’t have permission to shoot on the grounds, it is The Heart “O” Chicago, you can imagine why cameras aren’t encouraged. Discretion during the outdoor session was key. Fortunately there was a huge moving truck that just so happened to be parked in the perfect spot for our covert operation. Thanks to the unusually cold and rainy weather Chicago had in store for us, Jen, Emily and I were in a car watching Maggie and the models do their thing. Occasionally Emily hopped out for makeup and hair touch ups, Jen did the same for attire, and I jumped in for some jewelry changes. I’m always fascinated watching Maggie work with her subjects, so I was busy snapping away behind the scenes shots in between pulling out new jewelry for Brooke.

Since Chicago was dishing out some pretty strange weather for July, we opted to move into a room after the light was fading. Check back tomorrow for part two, where I take you inside the motel. You’ll definitely want to hear the story of how Maggie rented the room. “By the hour, please…”

I hope you enjoyed the post. Let us know what you think and check back tomorrow for Part 2- post your questions and comments below. Thanks for reading!